Let me start this by saying that I am not Vegan, many of my friends and family are though so, I do have experience of the trials and tribulations of being Vegan. When deciding that becoming a vegetarian is something that you want to consider then depending, what the motives are behind the decision you may wish to consider being Vegan.
Being Vegan is a complete change in lifestyle. Of all the types of vegetarian, it is the strictest form and not a decision to be taken lightly. Generally, this is the option for you if you are deeply concerned about animal welfare and animal rights.
If I were more conscientious then I would be Vegan. I couldn’t kill an animal to eat it or to use its remains for any other purpose. I also firmly believe that nearly all farming and slaughter processes are inhumane. Therefore, I do not eat any type of meat, and I try to avoid animal by-products wherever possible. I’m sure that some get under my radar though so I cannot class myself as Vegan. As I have said before becoming a vegetarian was my choice and I do not force my choice on others. My children are on again-off again vegetarians, and that is not an issue to me.
Just to get this straight you should consider becoming Vegan if your main reasons for becoming a vegetarian are:
- A concern over animal welfare and rights
- A concern about the environment
- A concern about the human population and being able to sustain it.
So what is a Vegan well they are people who do everything they cannot consume animals in any form. If you decide the type of vegetarian lifestyle for you is Vegan then you will:
- Eliminate consumption of meat/fish.
- Eliminate consumption of all dairy products.
- Eliminate the use of any animal by-products e.g. leather, animal glue, honey.
The benefits of being Vegan are numerous here is a quick overview:
- Peace of mind that you are doing what you consider right.
- The knowledge that you are doing your bit to contribute to an important cause.
- Health benefits some of which are lower cholesterol; less likelihood of heart disease; meat eating has been linked with various forms of cancer and of course weight loss (this is all of course subject to a healthy and nutritious diet being followed).
The challenges:
Well there aren’t as many challenges as there used to be.
Vegan certified produce is available from many supermarkets/superstores/health food/wholefood shops. Initially you have to be on your guard to make sure that nothing you purchase is tainted, but this soon becomes second nature. I’ll talk about the different certifications with a product lists in a separate post.
Eating out can still be somewhat tricky especially if everyone you are with decides just to dash into the nearest pub, bar, café or restaurant. However if, you are planning where to go in advance then the following resources will help you track down somewhere to eat or even shop:
Making sure that your diet is nutritional balanced can be a challenge to start with but with a little planning to start with, you will soon get to know the ropes. Our Vegan Diet Plans can help you with this.
